Carlton know Fremantle will make them pay if they deliver another errant goal-kicking display in their AFL clash on Saturday, according to defender Zac Tuohy.
The Blues kicked an inaccurate tally of 16.24 (120) last weekend, although it was still good enough to record a 43-point win against Gold Coast.
But Irishman Tuohy said they would have to make the most of their opportunities against Dockers, who boast the most miserly defence in the AFL.
“It’s (almost) impossible to score goals against them, that’s going to be our biggest challenge so we need to make sure we take our chances,” Tuohy said ahead of the Etihad Stadium clash.
“Our goal-kicking let us down at the weekend, there’s no hiding that.
“But I’ve got no doubt we’ve got the talent up forward to kick enough goals to win.”
He said Fremantle had hardly missed a beat following the suspension of skipper Matthew Pavlich.
The Dockers had a 22-point win over Adelaide last round, with Nat Fyfe stepping up to boot four goals.
“It doesn’t seem to have slowed them down too much which isn’t great for the rest of the competition,” he said.
Tuohy said he was resigned to losing swingman Lachie Henderson to the forward line after the 23-year-old kicked four goals against the Suns.
“It’s not a bad problem to have, someone who can play so well at both ends of the ground.
“He’s getting a lot of attention and I reckon fully deserved.
“He’s the equal of any big swingman in the competition.”
Carlton are sitting ninth on the AFL ladder, with Fremantle fifth and Tuohy said the Blues needed to start beating the sides above them if they wanted to feature in the business end of the season.
He said they weren’t considering sneaking into the finals should Essendon be stripped of points at the conclusion of the ASADA investigation.
“We’re not even thinking about that,” said Tuohy.
“We need to finish in the top eight, it’s always been that and that’s what we’re focusing on, not trying to finish ninth and crossing our fingers.”